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Pioneering the Additive Manufacturing Revolution in the Aerospace and Avionics fields

CRP Technology has been among the first to import additive manufacturing technology to Europe, and has developed the Windform® TOP-LINE family of composite materials.

They are some of the international market’s most high-performance Carbon- or Glass- composite laser sintering materials, in use for more than 20 years in the aerospace, UAV, defense, avionics markets for the most demanding applications.

Therefore it is unquestionable that CRP Technology has been changing the rules of additive manufacturing, smashing records and setting models nowadays that apply to 3D printing with polyamide materials.

A clear sign of this continued performance is Windform® FR1 (FR stands for Flame Retardant), the new-born material from the Windform® TOP-LINE family of composite materials for additive manufacturing.

It is intended to become a game-changing material in the field of 3D printing for its uniqueness: it is the first Flame Retardant (UL 94 V-0 rated) material for additive manufacturing which is carbon fiber reinforced.

It is also passed the FAR 25.853 flammability tests successfully as well as the 45° Bunsen burner test.

“Only a few weeks from the launch of a new range of Windform® materials, the P-LINE for HSS technology,” commented Franco Cevolini, VP and CTO at CRP Technology. “I’m very proud to introduce a new revolutionary composite material from the Windform® TOP-LINE family of materials for laser sintering technology. Our aim is to constantly produce technological breakthroughs. With Windform® FR1 we can steer you toward the proper solution for your projects.”

Franco Cevolini. Ph©Elisabetta Baracchi

“I’m firmly committed to solving one of the most important challenges, maybe the main one, for people who work in the 3D printing field “– added Cevolini – “the ability to ensure the performance and reliability of the AM process and materials. At CRP Technology and CRP USA we work extremely hard to control our process. We do testing on both equipment and materials on a regular basis. This kind of effort lets our customers understand that we are not just cranking out parts like a traditional rapid prototyping service bureau.”

Someone could say this technology and materials are expensive, but it is not correct especially in a long-term perspective. It is proven that using professional 3D printing and Windform® composite materials produce substantial cost savings considering the whole process performance.

“With professional 3D printing and Windform®” commented Cevolini – “the manufacturing process, from the design phase to product development, is optimized. Quality is not a cost, it is an investment”.

Aerospace and Avionics application spotlight

Not only the new-born Windform® FR1 material, but all the Windform® materials allow manufacturing of functional prototypes as well as finished, high-performance functional parts.

“Windform® materials from the TOP-LINE range of composite materials have some unique properties. Let’s consider, for example, Windform® XT 2.0: resistance to UV, low outgassing and its lightweight versus strength are some of the key characteristics that allow for it to replace a traditional material like Aluminium in some applications.”

The freedom of additive manufacturing allows the creation of more complex geometry, especially in the aerospace field.

TuPOD deployed © JAXA NASA

Recently CRP USA , the U.S.-based 3D printing company partnered with CRP Technology, contributed to mark a new milestone in the small satellites arena with TuPOD, the innovative cubesat manufactured via laser sintering in Windform® XT 2.0. This ground breaking project was carried out by GAUSS, Teton Aerospace, Morehead State University. From a distance, the TuPOD looks relatively simple, but upon closer examination there are some areas in the design that would have been more difficult to accomplish with traditional manufacturing methods. 

The significant performance of Windform® is creating new ways to invent and manufacture, while it is proving to be a viable option for the innovative design and high-performance features associated with advanced Aerospace applications.

“Leveraging 3D printing and Windform® composite materials properly has been a key advantage that our customers in the Space Industry have quickly adapted to. Whether it is entire structures or smaller components, we have been amazed at the creativity. The time to produce the parts is often dramatically less than through traditional methods.”

Progress has been also made in the avionics field: recently Windform® composite materials combined with laser sintering technology, have been used to manufacture some external parts of the wind tunnel model in 1:8.5 scale for the prototype of the new Leonardo Helicopter Division tiltrotor AW609, for a series of dedicated low-speed wind tunnel tests. (Designed, manufactured and assembled by Metaltech S.r.l., under supervision of Leonardo HD).

Tiltrotor-AW609. Courtesy Leonardo HD

These 3D printed parts highlight the perfect union between advanced 3D printing technology and Windform® high-performance composite materials. Thanks to the Windform® materials, it was possible to complete and test the model in the wind tunnel within a very short time, with excellent results and with high-performing mechanical and aerodynamic properties.

The 3D printed parts have been created by CRP Technology using Windform® XT 2.0 are nose and cockpit, rear fuselage, nacelles, external fuel tanks and fairings.

CRP USA also contributed to demonstrate the effectiveness of additive manufacturing and use of Windform® as a structural material for avionics applications: on behalf of Leonardo HD and under the control of ATI Co. – Newport News (the model supplier), CRP USA manufactured via laser sintering and Windform, the external fuselage and additional components for a new 1:6 model.

It was created for a high-speed wind tunnel test campaign at NASA Ames Unitary Plan 11 by 11 foot transonic wind tunnel, as part of a thorough review of aircraft behavior. 

The model scale selected was 1:6 of the full scale in order to be fully compatible within the given constraints of the physical size of the NASA 11 by 11 tunnel.

The architecture of the new 1:6 model for transonic high-speed tests was very similar to the AW609 model but with some improvements in order to have the remote controls for the flaperons and elevator surfaces.

For the first time the Windform® XT 2.0 Carbon-composite material was used for an high speed model tested at NASA AMES facility.

Windform® TOP-LINE family of high-performance composite materials have passed NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) outgassing screening, suitable for aerospace applications: 

  • Windform® XT 2.0, Windform® SP both carbon-composite materials; Windform® LX 3.0, Windform® GT both glass-composite materials: have been tested in accordance to the ASTM E-595-07 standard, and passed with no issues
  • Windform® XT 2.0 carbon-composite material: has been passed ESA screening outgassing tests in accordance with ESA TEC-QTE 7171 (based on ECSS-Q-ST-70-02C); it has been K-rated according to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) outgassing test.

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CRP: producing excellence with additive manufacturing technology and high-performance materials

Energica Ego Corsa for FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup, with some 3D printed parts by CRP Technology

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since the mid-90’s, CRP Technology (headquartered in Modena, Italy) has been changing the rules of manufacturing.

Most in the manufacturing Industry may have only discovered the world of additive manufacturing and 3D printing in the last decade, but CRP Technology has been familiar with its most inner dealings since 1996, when the company created, in-house, one of the first 3D printing departments with professional printers, backed up by an R&D department for material development, capable of transforming rapid prototyping into rapid manufacturing.

Franco Cevolini, VP and CTO at CRP Technology, with Energica Ego

“We’ve always believed and invested in innovation and technology” commented Eng. Franco Cevolini, VP and CTO at CRP Technology “and we still do. Since the beginning of this fulfilling business experience, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge… and now we pave new roads in technological innovations which others try to pursue, setting rules that have been adopted by others in the 3D printing of polymers”.

“Since our debut in the new-born 3D printing market,” Cevolini added “we have been working for the elite of the most demanding industrial segments, such as Motorsports and Aerospace. At that time many 3D printing suppliers in the market were not dependable yet.”

Many years of experience have contributed to the creation of the “CRP Process”, which is synonymous with tangible, turnkey solutions which can satisfy any customers’ requirements”

How it all began

CRP Technology is part of the CRP Group.  Founded in the Early Seventies by Roberto Cevolini as a company for high precision CNC machining in the Motorsports field, the company has expertly evolved over decades, skilfully responding to the demands of the international market, anticipating the need for highly unique manufacturing solutions worldwide.

In F1, obsessive attention to details quite often makes the difference. There is continuous research for the next technological innovation to get that competitive advantage even of few hundredths of a second: the CRP Group’s F1 background helped CRP Technology become a leading company in the field of additive manufacturing and laser sintering materials.

Pioneering AM revolution: Windform® Top Line for LS technology

CRP Technology not only has been amongst the first to import additive manufacturing technology to Europe and Italy but also developed the Windform® Top Line family of materials for LS technology, some of the international market’s highest-performance laser sintering materials. In use for over 20 years in the Motorsports, space, UAV, medical and other most demanding sectors. Windform® was originally devised for use in Formula One Racing, first in the wind tunnel and then on the track.

Now the Laser Sintering (LS) polyamide-based glass or carbon fiber reinforced Windform® allow for the manufacturing of functional prototypes as well as finished, high-performance functional parts, that satisfy the needs of the most demanding industries for high-performance, durable, and detailed parts.

Windform® materials are approved for space applications by international space agencies (outgassing tests carried out by NASA, ESA, JAXA) and successfully have passed other testing, such as Flammability UL 94 and VUV.

The Windform® family composite materials for LS is constantly expanding: The Windform® Top Line is nowadays composed of seven different Windform® materials. Soon it will grow to eight, “when we launch new cutting-edge composite material, the first with exceptional properties in one. It will be unique.”

Nowadays

So much of CRP’s success in Aerodynamics and Entertainment fields is due to CRP USA, CRP’s US-based partner (Mooresville, North Carolina).

3D printed hybrid rocket engine manufactured by CRP USA using LS technology and Carbon-fiber reinforced Windform® XT 2.0 composite material

Under the guidance of Stewart Davis, CRP USA’s built up considerable experience supplying cutting edge solutions for key industry leaders that chose to manufacture in the Windform® family of materials.

Automotive Intake Manifold functional prototype made of Carbon-fiber reinforced Windform® SP composite material via LS technology

CRP USA contributes to mark new milestones in the most challenging and harsh 3D printed applications arena.

Constant investment in (new) technology

Tundra-M functional drone with 3D printed body and arms made of Carbon-fiber reinforced Windform® SP and Windform® XT 2.0 composite materials via LS technology

“Our aim is producing technological breakthroughs, constantly” added Franco Cevolini “and we invest in Research and Development as well as new technology: for that reason, CRP technology’s 3D printing department is expanding towards high-tech production. We are going to integrate in-house High-Speed Sintering, introducing the P line family of materials. We will not stop here: we will continue our work on renewal and technological expansion in the field of Additive Manufacturing. Stay tuned!”